The Chairman of the Tunji Olowolafe Foundation, Dr. Tunji Olowolafe, has urged newly qualified medical specialists and doctors to deploy their knowledge towards building world-class healthcare institutions capable of transforming Nigeria’s health sector.
Olowolafe made the call while speaking at the annual Convocation Ceremony of New Specialists and Doctors of Medicine at the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN), Lagos.
He said Nigeria was richly endowed with the human resources and professional capacity required to build institutions that could deliver healthcare services to global standards.
“Nigeria has the talent and capacity to build world-class institutions. And nowhere is that more important today than in healthcare,” he said.
Olowolafe, who trained as a medical doctor and obtained his MBBS from the University of Ilorin, stressed the need for Nigeria to maximise its pool of highly skilled professionals to transform the healthcare system and strengthen its capacity to provide quality medical services.
The educationist and entrepreneur expressed concern over the enormous sums spent annually by Nigerians on medical treatment abroad, noting that such expenditure contributes to the economies and healthcare systems of other countries.
Olowolafe, who is also the Chancellor of Ekiti State University, called for collaborative efforts to reverse the trend of medical tourism and position Nigeria as a credible destination for specialised medical care and international referrals.
“Every year, Nigerians spend enormous sums travelling abroad for medical treatment. Our ambition should be to reverse that trend: first, by building a healthcare system that Nigerians do not need to leave home to access, and ultimately, by making Nigeria a destination for patients from across Africa,” he stated.
Elaborating on how this could be achieved, Olowolafe emphasised that investments in healthcare infrastructure and facilities must be matched by corresponding investments in human resources.
“We are already seeing signs of that future. But hospitals and equipment alone cannot deliver it. People will,” he said.
The educationist, who was also conferred with the College’s Honorary Fellowship (FNMC) at the ceremony, charged the new specialists and doctors to see themselves as agents of change and contribute to the renewal and transformation of Nigeria’s healthcare system.
“You are those people. Keep learning, keep refining your craft, and help us build medical institutions in Nigeria that can stand alongside the best anywhere in the world,” he told the graduands.
Olowolafe expressed appreciation to the NPMCN for conferring the honorary fellowship on him, assuring the institution that he would continue to contribute meaningfully, within his capacity, to the advancement of medical practice and education in Nigeria.
Nigeria continues to lose significant resources to outbound medical tourism. The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said in 2025 that the country could potentially retain an estimated ₦850 billion currently spent abroad on medical tourism, while the WHO Africa Health Observatory estimates that outbound health tourism costs Nigeria about US$1 billion annually.
The Tunji Olowolafe Foundation has continued to contribute to the revitalisation of hospitals while supporting medical education and specialist training.
